Shaolin Temple’s “Chan Meditation Improving Session” Completes Successfully in Wuxu Year

On December 27, 2018, at 7:30 am, with Shaolin Temple’s abbot Shi Yongxin saying “Jie” (Chinese: 解)， Shaolin Temple’s Jing Jin Qi (Chinese: 精进七) or Chan Meditation Improving Session completed Jieqi (Chinese: 解七) successfully in Wuxu Year (Chan sessions have five periods and each of them includes 7-day meditation time, totaling 49 days through the entire course). During the period of Jing Jin Qi, all elders, holy men from mountains, old meditators from great monasteries and new meditators in total of 132 gathered at Meditation Chapel in Shaolin Temple, with cultivation and enlightenment in meditation and achieving realization in a set timeframe.

Chan Qi or Jie Qi (Chinese: 解七) completed solemnly

Chan Qi or Jie Qi (Chinese: 解七) completed solemnly

At 3:15 am, with bangs of the four boards, all Chan monks began sitting the first incense as usual. Today is the last day of Shaolin Temple’s Chan Meditation Improving Session. More than 130 Chan monks from all over the country accepted the Shaolin Kungfu Test by the Great Monk Yongxin and major heads from the Meditation Chapel.

At 6:30 am the Great Monk Yongxin joined in the formal meal together with all Chan monks. Then all of them entered into the Meditation Chapel to run incense. After hitting the board and bell twice respectively, an assistant passed on the Jieqi board while all monks stood still. The Great Monk Yongxin held incense board sponsoring alarming and then gave a dharma teaching.

Then monks and major heads held a Shaolin Kungfu Test and warned all Chan monks. Major heads presided over the Shaolin Kungfu Test for all Chan monks in turn and gave a dharma teaching full of compassion. After the Kungfu test, masters on the two lists standing in front of Bodhidharma, Master Yuezhong hit the chime stone welcoming the Great Monk Jie Qi (Chinese: 解七). With the monk speaking “Jie”(Chinese: 解), Jie Qi of Shaolin Temple’s Chan Meditation Improving Session came to an end in Wuxu Year.

At 8 am, Karmadana led all Chan monks to the Abbot Hall to apply for permission to “Take Time off from Life and Death” with the Great Monk Yongxin in advance. The Great Monk said approvingly, “The Chan Qi dharma assembly was held solemnly, peacefully and successfully. All major heads did the due diligence protecting and maintaining the Meditation Chapel carefully; all Chan monks shed their own old self and contemplated hua tou wholeheartedly to be liberated from the circle of life and death and achieve realization. Through 49-day improving and advancing, I believe everyone is able to reach awakening, find inner peace and uncover the true self. It is hoped that Chan monks could be able to stay here and continue to protect and maintain the Meditation Hall.” Then the Great Monk Yongxin took group photos together with all Chan monks in front of the Abbot Hall with delight.

So far, Shaolin Temple’s Chan Meditation Improving Session in Wuxu Year has completed successfully. (Editor: Yue Long)